Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Sin City

Sin is the name of the traditional Lao-style skirt; it goes to your mid-calf (longer if you are older) and can be made with a variety of fabrics (silk, cotton, mix). About two weeks after my arrival a Japanese friend introduced me to a wonderful lady in the Talat Sao (morning market) who sells fabrics and arranges speedy tailoring with her family. The cheaper ones cost about $15 including tailoring, and the price just rises from there. I've heard that the sky is the limit with Lao silk, with some skirts costing $1000s because of the high quality of material. I now have a grand total of 3 sins (alas, each of which falls closer to the lower price bracket mentioned, rather than the higher :) ); they are super comfortable for walking around and include a foldable panel of material which helps maintain your dignity whether scrambling out of a car, praying in the temple or riding your motorbike. They're an absolute must for government meetings and are very good at breaking the ice with strangers (people think it's funny but like the fact that foreigners wear/try to wear* the skirt).

my work sins

*I say "try to wear" (see left...) because my efforts at dressing myself invariably warrant constant correction by Lao friends (i.e. the seam is not perfectly aligned with my hip, the belt is not right, I'm not wearing a belt etc.)

About Me

This is a blog charting my work and travels in the "Land of a Million Elephants" - more commonly known as Laos in South East Asia.
From February 2011 I'll be on a one-year placement based in Vientiane working on Child Rights Policy with UNICEF.